What was the Star of Bethlehem?

We will never absolutely know because the earliest written description
dated at least 80 and probably over 96 years after the event.
 
 Worse, those first writings have long since disappeared
and the only existing written shreds are from the
third century; that’s over 300 years after the event.

 While this discrepancy seems insurmountable,
recall that the Iliad and the Odyssey were passed verbally over many centuries before being put on paper. Although those great classics are
filled with exaggerations, mythology, mysticism and spirituality, the events they depicted actually happened and the people involved actually lived.

Scientists have separated myth from reality in those classics and since the “Star” is more recent history by comparison, we should be able to do
the same.

In 1604 Johannes Kepler was first to try and identify the “Star.”
Scientific insight results when knowledge,
experience, data and events come together in a
mind that’s prepared.    In 1604, Johannes Kepler
had been sifting through prodigious data while
attempting to explain the motions and periodicity
of the solar system objects when a nova appeared in the middle of a spectacular planetary conjunction.    Kepler’s insight enabled him to identify
the “Bethlehem Star” within the science of
the time and moved the “Star’s” identification from faith-based belief to fact-based
inquiry.

 Kepler came to a preliminary erroneous conclusion but then identified
and corrected his mistake.   His conclusion stands into the 20th century. It
clearly ranks him as a great scientist and his interest in astrology (in modern
terms) helps us realize the Magi are the people we must understand to identify the “Star.”

A Jupiter, Mars and Saturn conjunction and Nova-1604 that led Kepler to
identify the Star of Bethlehem. He accurately predicted a similar
planetary conjunction 1,610 years earlier which was identified as the  “Star” into the 20th century.

Come with an open mind and check preconceptions at the door.

The number of books, articles and web pages on the Bethlehem Star are difficult to count let alone read; for instance, starting with the idea that it’s just a story contrived to jump start a new religion and ending with the notion
that the “Star” was an undiscovered  (by modern astronomers) planet known only to those who can read certain obscure Sumerian texts made infamous by the 1960’s book,  “Chariots of the Gods.” 

 

However, beginning with Kepler, there have been some serious investigations which have provided some excellent candidates to explain what the right people saw.  Interestingly, serious astronomers who investigate the phenomenon must delve into astrology; although it was probably the astronomy of the day.  

It requires us to think in terms of people who thought the sun, moon and planets were embedded in spheres, closer than the fixed stars, rotating over Earth.  More over, they believed these heavenly bodies had powerful influences on mortals. Does it sound familiar?  It’s the stuff you find in astrology columns today.

Our inquiry begins by accepting that it was a real astronomical event
that meets the criteria found in the New Testament books of Matthew and Luke.
This places many possibilities on our table because between about 6 and 1 BC,  several spectacular astronomical events occurred that any modern professional
and amateur astronomer would have observed and imaged.

 One of them meets the criteria that would have caused the “Wise Men of
Matthew,” the Magi, to make the journey from Persia or was it Babylon?  to
Judea and then on to the area of Bethlehem. Interesting also that this fact as to the Birth place of the Christ child was prophesied centuries before the event!!

 

However, to do an adequate job we’ll explore aspects of population demographics,
astrology, astronomy and even some sociological issues to objectively
explore the question.

Nevertheless, no matter how compelling a case anyone makes, no eyewitness
account, including Sumerian texts, has ever been found that yields an
unequivocal answer. That leaves us to take our own personal conclusion. I sincerely hope that my exploration provides sufficient information to help you
to reach a personal conclusion or encourages further searching on your
own. Either way, I will have succeeded.

 

 

BTW: Then there is a DVD  " The Star Of Bethlehem "  by Rick Larson; MPOWER Pictures #80676
plus a web site @ http://www.bethlehemstar.net....